Is your church visitor-friendly?

When Sarah Stirman and her family moved to the Dallas area last summer, they visited half a dozen congregations.

At each, their experience was basically the same.

“Our family sat alone and was ignored before service started. If we were lucky, we were greeted during ‘shake and bake,’” she said, referring to the forced greeting period when the worship leader asks everyone to stand and welcome those around them.

Undoubtedly, no Church of Christ would describe itself as unfriendly.

Too often, though, congregations fail to show Christ’s love to strangers, said many members and leaders interviewed by The Christian Chronicle.